A man watches a TV news program showing a photo published in North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper of North Korea's "Pukguksong-2" missile launch, at Seoul Railway station in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 13, 2017.(Ahn Young-joon/AP)

It comes as no surprise that North Korea is making headlines yet again for test-firing a missile. Even after the UN Security Council prohibited North Korea from carrying out missile launches in an effort to stop nuclear development, Kim Jong Un has proven time and time again that he is above international law.

The launch was not the first time U.S. foreign policy with Asia was put to the test, as just days before, on Feb. 10, President Trump conceded to Beijing in a change of rhetoric that has the whole world watching.

The “One China” policy is an unofficial, confusing, worldwide policy in regards to the relationship between mainland China (People’s Republic of China) and Taiwan (Republic of China). Since 1972, the U.S. has regarded China and Taiwan, more or less, as one country; or in other words has never officially granted China sovereignty over Taiwan nor given Taiwan independence from China.

In an effort to improve relations between the two nations and to have a civil conversation, Trump agreed to reassess his stance on Taiwan, a very sensitive topic for Beijing, as Taiwan was founded by the losers of the Chinese Civil War in an effort to flee the victorious Communists, who still are the political rulers of China.

President Trump’s reversal does less to mend relations and more to ruin face. By backing down, Trump has made himself look weak in the eyes of Asia in a time when we need to be strong. China, North Korea’s biggest trade ally on paper, is crucial in relations with the trigger-happy dictator and holds a lot of power over what resources get into the rogue nation.

By appearing weak and submissive, President Trump harms what is possibly his biggest bartering chip: unpredictability. Coming in, Trump talked big between Taiwan relations and a possible 45 percent tariff on Chinese goods. But if he is just going to crumple and fall back to the ho-hum foreign policy that has defined U.S.-China relations for the last 40 years, will Asia really respect him? Most likely not.

President Trump walks a thin line. Angering China and doing nothing about North Korea could result in a war while doing nothing may well result in conflict. He must compromise without looking weak, deal without burning bridges and gain the trust of a country still unwilling to accept him.

David Csordas is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at david.csordas@uconn.edu.